Real Love

Chapter Five

  “…Dad?” Paul froze in absolute terror, clutching the blanket around him tightly. His father was the last person he’d want to see in a situation like this. He wasn’t wearing any clothes at the moment, and he was at the house of his male ex-lover. Things couldn’t have gotten any worse. But then they did.

  “Linda is on her way here,” Jim spoke in long, calm breaths. “I’m afraid Mike has spilled the beans about John… and when Linda didn’t hear from you again last night, she decided to come.”

  “Well, that’s just great. That’s terrific. You, me, John, and Linda. One, big, happy family.” Paul smirked, knowing for once he had his father right where he wanted him. “Tell me about the letters,” he snapped, his voice remaining calm, but insides screaming with rage. “Is it true?”

  “Yes.” Jim didn’t even bother to defend himself.

  “You watched my cry myself to sleep… for months and months… and you never said anything? How could you even do that? To your own son?!”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re sorry? You’re sorry?!”

  “Yes, I am… I am sorry.”

  “Because of you, my entire life is ruined!”

  “Okay, yes, I stole your letters. It was wrong. But stop being dramatic and at least take some responsibility. You came down here. You knew what you were doing. You knew this would happen.”

  “Okay, so now I’m a tramp? A little man-whore? Is that what I am?”

  “You are unbelievable. Unbelievable. Go and get some clothes on. We’re going on a drive.”

  “A drive? Why would I want to go anywhere with you?!”

  “Because I might know you a little better than you think. And I don’t want you waking up one morning, thinking that if you’d known everything, you might have done something different.”

—-

  “What are we doing here, dad?” They were sitting in Jim’s roofless car just outside a business office, a very bustling crowd before them. Tens of hundreds of people were rushing by, all having important things to do and important places to go. 

  “Do you see that man there?” Jim pointed toward a man talking on the telephone in a phone booth.

  “Mm-hmm.”

  “Don’t look like it now, but years ago… oh my goodness, he was really something.”

  Paul bit his lip, confused as to why his very own father was talking this way about another man. He had seemed so upset when Paul had brought back a lad instead of a lady, but was his whole angry attitude hypocritical?

  “Well naturally, your grandparents were furious, so… we decided to run away. We didn’t even make the next town before the police picked us up. But that was then. You know, sometimes, when I’m in the area, I just stop here and I watch him… trying to picture how different my life would have been. I want you to know… I loved your mother…”

  “Dad-”

  “No, god damn, this is important! And you need to hear it. I do, too. She was a wonderful woman. She was good to me, and I didn’t deserve her. I loved her, Paul, I really did.”

  “I know.”

  “Oh, God… this is just, so embarrassing… I’m a stupid man. Look at me. It’s crazy. I don’t even know who that person is,” Jim nodded toward the man at the telephone booth. “Oh boy.”